Second Chances
by StarRoseColors
Summary: A year after Nibiru, one criminal takes things too far, locking the gang in a vault with a bomb, with not enough time to try and stop it. The gang dies. They get offered by Annunaki Nova to go back on a certain day in the 'bad' timeline and have to live through the events up to Nibiru. This gives them the option to make things better. They agree. (SDMI, time travel, Roleswap AU.)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: The Roleswap AU is an au I came up with where Fred and Velma's parental situation is switched: Fred is the biological son of Mayor Jones, while Velma is the much quieter daughter of Cassidy Williams and Ricky Owens, stolen by Angie Dinkley.**

This timeline was supposed to be peaceful.

Velma had said it was free from the Evil Entity's influence. Each member had happy and proud families. Nobody was dead. All masked monsters were petty crimes or grudges. Everything was supposed to be good.

Right now, it was a harsh reminder that horrible people still existed.

"Velma…"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry." Her gaze was focused on the timer. When it had started, it was twenty seconds. It was at fifteen now. "I…the time. There's not enough."

They had been on the trail on the ghost of a bank-robbing gunslinger. Everyone had chased him into the heavy-duty vault. When they turned, he was slinging the door closed. When the locks clicked into place, the bomb had started counting down.

Fred let out a strained chuckle, meeting eyes with everyone. Shaggy and Scooby were holding each other tight. Daphne, without a word, gripped his hand. Velma stood alone, staring at the bomb on the door. She glanced back when he cleared his throat. He gestured everyone close. Soon, everyone was holding each other.

"Well, we said not splitting up. Makes sense that applies…here too."

They had been so close to fitting in the lives that the 'good' timeline had set up for them. Fred and Daphne were supposed to be married next year. Shaggy was going to get his cooking degree soon. Velma had finally stopped tip-toeing around her parents and girlfriend, worried that if one wrong move was made she would be plunged into another war or they would die.

5…

Eyes clenched.

4…

Velma's fingers dug into the sleeve of Daphne's sweater and Scooby's fur. Fred gripped the collars of Shaggy's shirt and Velma's sweatshirt. Daphne held Scooby's collar and Fred's shoulder tight. Shaggy gripped Fred's shoulder and Velma's hand in Scooby's fur.

3…

Scooby held on who he could, tail wrapped around their ankles.

2…

1.

Everything went dark.

* * *

Groans rang out. Eyes opened and people started sitting up.

Velma looked around. They were sitting in a familiar room with a black and white floor and red curtains. "The Sitting Room…?" She froze when she saw a certain section. "No."

People's best parts, frozen in perfect statues.

"No, no, no!"

Ignoring her friends' cries, she scrambled in. Looking around, she was glad to see Cassidy Williams wasn't among them. (Hadn't she been though?) Velma paused at one best part- Ricky Owens, a teenager. (Why was he so young?) Before she could touch him, a throat cleared.

Nova was staring at them.

"Hello again, Mystery Incorporated."

"What are we doing here?" Shaggy said.

"First, to apologize. I left you in a world that you did not belong in, where you had to struggle to fit in the mold of a person that never existed." She sighed, sounding rather sad. "I intended to fix your memories to fit with the timeline, but you had never left anything here, so I could not. Here is my second reason."

Nova took a breath.

"In the 'good' timeline, you died. But, I can place you back in your original timeline, a few days before your battle with Obliteratrix. This will be your second chance, a way to fix things and make them better. Or, I can allow your souls to continue down the road to the Underworld."

The gang exchanged looks. A silent agreement was forged.

"We'll take the first," Fred said. The others nodded in agreement.

"I have one condition for this: you may only tell one person.

"Alright."

Nova nodded, and then a flash of light overtook them…


	2. Chapter 2

When they awoke, they were sitting in the Mystery Machine.

A look out the window showed the remains of Gatorsburg. "We should-" Velma started before pausing. "Everyone out." She threw open the back doors, the rest of the gang following. They all stopped at the fountain.

"Mr. E has eyes and ears everywhere. As far as we know, he's bugged the Machine." She explained.

The gang shared looks. "Alright," Fred said, crossing his arms. "While we're out here, we need to make a plan."

"While we're here, we should grab the key." Velma said. "We have a chance to fix everything, we need to save all the time we can get."

"Right. So, what is the plan?"

"I was thinking," Daphne spoke up, clearly mulling something over. "Things started going downhill when Brad and Judy showed up and started working with Professor Pericles and Mr. E. So, if we can stop them from coming back…"

"Then Pericles loses two of his allies!"

The gang talked things over, soon coming with a plan. They would solve Obileratrix as quickly as possible and then deal with Angie Dinkley. Afterwards, Fred and Daphne, under the guise of looking at colleges over the summer, would find Brad and Judy. They would stop or at least delay their return. Meanwhile, Velma would work on Angel helping them more and convincing Mr. E to their side. Shaggy and Scooby had the job of finding hiding places of both the Disc and the keys and supporting Velma.

They stopped by the grave first.

* * *

The gang dropped Velma off at her house so she could grab her wallet. Thankfully, Angie wasn't home when she entered. The rest of the gang went to Fred's house while she headed to the bus stop. As she walked, waited at the stop, and then got on the bus when it came, she tried to convince herself this was normal. It was like the hundreds of other times she had gone to the radio station.

No.

It wasn't.

Those times, she hadn't known about Mystery Incorporated I, the treasure, her parents. After the Freak had been unmasked, Velma had refused to speak to her mother. Then shit went down at Frau Gluck's place…and they had never made peace.

In the 'good' timeline, Velma had done research. Apparently, she was a bolder girl who never hesitated to tell teachers or her peers when they were wrong. She partnered with Marcie every year for the Science Fair. Everyone had known her to be the heir to Creationex. She was apparently close to her parents as well, considering the group hug she had received when she told them that she was visiting the university.

This…was going to be hell.

She hopped off the bus at her stop. Lost in thought on how she was going to explain her knowledge of the Freak, she tripped. A hiss of pain escaped her. Sitting up, she noticed a piece of glass in her knee. She plucked it out with a smile.

That'll work.

Channeling every sad memory she could find, Velma hurried up to the K-GHOUL station.

By the time Angel opened the door, Velma was a teary eyed mess. "VELMA?" Angel squawked in surprise. Her eyes widened when she saw her bloody knee. "Baby, what happened?" she said, leading the younger girl in. "Where's the rest of the gang?"

Velma was settled in on the sofa. Angel grabbed the first aid kit. She let out a few sniffles. "I-I was heading to Fred's house to meet the rest of the gang when…I know I shouldn't have, but I was running late so I took a shortcut through an alleyway when…something attacked me."

"Something attacked you?" Angel started washing the blood and dirt off.

"Tall, with horns, carried a sword. He called himself the "Freak of Crystal Cove." She noted that the DJ had frozen. "Angel?"

"What… did he do?"

"He…he said that our blood would be on Mystery Incorporated's hands. Then he took a swing at me." Velma wiped her crocodile tears on her sleeve. "I moved and ran away. And then I ran here." She paused. "Are you okay?"

Angel blinked out of her thoughts. "Well, he just clipped you." Velma hissed as the disinfectant was applied. The bandage was put on. "Look, I'm not going to lie to you. The Freak's why we left Crystal Cove."

"The gang knows."

"What?"

Shit.

Velma made up the lie on the spot. "I…we were talking a few days ago, trying to do some research on you guys. I guess I said something because Freddie started asking some questions and…you know how he can get." Angel nodded, looking worried. "They all realized it."

The DJ nodded. "How do they… feel about it?"

"Well, they were all upset for a bit that I kept this from them. Then Daphne brought up the point that something bad must've happened if you felt the need to lie about your identity." She examined her mother's face- it was tense. Good, her story was working. "A- Cassidy? Did something bad happen?"

Angel stood and hurried out of the room. She came back with two packets of papers. She didn't say a word, simply handed Velma the packets. The younger looked them over. It was all accusations with evidence, apparently copied from books. The first packet accused one Emily Jane Williams of drug dealing and Jake Williams of jewel robbery. The second packet accused Linda and Tom Owens of art forgery and theft.

A look up revealed the elder's face was distant, lost in memory. "We had just found a piece of the Planispheric Disc and triggered a booby trap. We managed to escape. The Freak showed up out of nowhere. He told us to give him the piece, leave Crystal Cove, and never return. Otherwise, the police would get these papers."

"Who knew about the Disc?"

"What?"

Velma stood quickly, letting out a hiss of pain at her knee. "Think about it. Wouldn't something like that try and curse you if it was real? Why bother telling you to leave while threatening you with faked papers?"

Cassidy opened and then closed her mouth. She thought for a moment. "The librarian saw the scroll. The only other person we ever talked to about it was…Angie Dinkley." She was clearly waiting for Velma's reaction.

"My mom makes sense."

She blinked, expression shifting to surprise. "She does?"

"Yeah. Professor Pericles started haunting her a few weeks ago, looking for a piece of the Disc she had."

The DJ thought this over before sighing. "Velma, I'm sorry."

Velma gave a hum before fixing the other with a serious look. "Look, we're still going to look for the treasure, whether it pits us against you or not." She took her hands. "Please, we trust you. We've trusted you since we met you. Help us."

"And Mr. E?"

This had been brought up in the planning session. Nobody could forget how Pericles had tortured him, staring him down with cold eyes, or how he had saved them. Velma couldn't forget his and her talk either. "So far, he hasn't given us much reason to trust him. But, we'll still keep working with him- unless he gives us a reason not to."

Her mother nodded. "That's a good answer."

She couldn't resist, tugging her into a hug before pulling away. Velma nodded back before walking to the door. "Think about it." With one look back, she closed the door. She let out a sigh before letting out a squeak at the door opening.

"Velma?"

"Yes?"

"Can the gang visit tomorrow afternoon? I need to tell you something." Velma nodded and Angel smiled. "Thank you."

_Thank you._ "You're welcome."


	3. Chapter 3

Velma had tensed up when she saw Angie at dinner. She stayed like that, unable to voice the internal screaming. She was unable to sleep, leaving herself to try and type up what she knew about Cassidy Williams and Ricky Owens.

It wasn't much.

Apparently, Cassidy had been the 'Velma' while Ricky had been the 'Shaggy' of Mystery Incorporated I. They had been romantic in the past, Daphne had said. At least enough to have Velma. (She ignored that thought.) Ricky hadn't known about Cassidy being pregnant or her dying until Daphne and then Pericles told him. (He had sounded torn apart when he got told the latter.) And then…

He had been rebelling against Pericles.

Then he had started screaming.

Velma immediately stuffed that memory down and shoved it into a mental box.

When she got to school, people had started giving her weird looks. Well, weirder looks. She couldn't help but assume it was because she was carrying a thermos full of coffee, had dark bags under her eyes, and forgot to brush her hair, so it still stuck up where she had been running fingers through it.

It wasn't until Daphne nudged her foot at lunch. "Velma."

"Hm?"

_"The sweatshirt."_

Velma paused, then looked down. The washed-out grey sweatshirt with a physics pun on the front and a hood sewn on looked normal. She was about to aim a confused look at her friend when it hit her.

It wasn't supposed to exist yet.

Because Marcie had given it to her for their fifth-month anniversary!

She was wearing a sweatshirt that wasn't supposed to exist that had been given by a girl who, at the moment, hated her guts and was in _prison_.

She moved to start taking it off but paused. She left it alone. It would remind her.

* * *

"Angel is probably just going to let us ask questions," Velma said as they walked up to the station's door. "We should take this moment to ask about the original Mystery Incorporated and see if there's any info that can help us."

"Velma…"

"Yeah, Daphne?"

"Do you want any of us to ask about…you know, your parents?"

"…You know, why not?" She shrugged. "Might help." She turned and opened the door, allowing the gang to enter. They all paused at the scene.

The coffee table and the floor were scattered with papers. Most of them looked like part of a handwritten speech. Angel herself was pacing back and forth. She had no makeup on and her afro was wilder than usual. She looked like she had gotten no sleep. What made Velma raise a brow was the outfit she wore. She wore black sleep shorts with a familiar shirt.

"Um, like, Angel?" Shaggy said nervously. "Are you okay?"

The DJ let out a yelp, turning. "Gang! Babies, are you trying to scare me?"

Fred let out a sheepish laugh. "Sorry! But Velma said you had something to tell us?" They all tried to look expectant, even though each one had a new idea where this was going. (Velma ignored Ricky Owens' shirt.)

Angel stared before letting out a laugh. "I…yeah. I have something to talk to you guys about." They all settled down. The African-American woman let out a sigh. "Velma told me she told you guys who I am?"

The gang had been filled in. So Daphne nodded. "We guessed it. She also told us about the Freak. I'm so sorry you had to deal with that." The redhead's words seemed to relax Angel. "I promise, we won't get upset with anything you have to say-"

"I'm Velma's mother."

Almost the instant she said it, Angel clapped a hand over her mouth. There was a crash- Velma had fallen back in her chair, making it fall back.

_Oh boy._


	4. Chapter 4

"What are you clowns doing to my kitchen?"

It had been a few days since Angel's reveal. Velma had ended up making a scene of needing some time, giving the gang the chance to escape. Unfortunately, that meant none of their questions had been answered.

But they were back, following the path of the day of the Obliteratrix. Shaggy and Scooby were making "breakfast" in Angel's RV's kitchen. Fred and Daphne were re-organizing the van. Velma was making a show of examining their piece under a microscope. Her mother settled in the seat across from her. "So how's that piece working out for you?"

"So far? I think these symbols might actually be writing." Silence lingered between them. "I wanted to ask you something," Velma said, putting aside the piece.

"Hit me."

"Did…" She bit her lip before letting out a sigh. "How long did you know? That…"

"You were my daughter?" Angel said. Velma nodded. The DJ sighed, leaning back. "I...got a feeling the first time we met. It was one of those thoughts, you know? Saying that you met that person somewhere, you just don't know where."

"But you didn't tell me after you figured it out." Velma didn't fake the shudder that went through her. She had cried the first time around. "You knew the crap people said about me." Whenever she heard the debate about her mother either having an affair or adopting her, it had made her want to dig a hole and never come out. Angel had the power to at least lift some of that burden.

Which she had never used.

"I was protecting you. What do you think would've happened if the Freak knew I was back in town and knew exactly where something was that could've hurt me was?" Angel's voice had gone steely.

Velma opened her mouth.

Then she closed it after a moment of thought.

"Exactly."

* * *

"What the fuck Williams."

The kids had just left to visit Darrow and she had started playing a playlist. Angel had been planning on trying to find all the notes she had on the treasure to give to the kids, but this phone call had interrupted her. "Do you need something E?" she said, pushing aside another box. She peeked inside the next one- more records.

"What the hell?! I- You-"

His sputtering reminded her of years before, back when their only worries were scraped knees and what other kids thought about them. Despite what other people thought, Ricky Owens was a smart kid. And Cassidy Williams took immense pleasure in ribbing him until he was sputtering in anger.

" Were you going to tell me?!"

"That depends."

"ON WHAT?!"

Angel peered into the next box. A bunch of papers, book, and notebooks were inside. Her handwriting, smudged and faded by time, was on some of them. "Stuff."

Without another word, she hung up.

* * *

**A/N: I hang out at .com. Come say hi!**


	5. Chapter 5

Daphne knew how this went.

But this time, things would be a little different.

She hung back while the rest of the gang walk with Professor Hatecraft. Once she was sure they were in position, she found the camera Velma had tracked down that morning. She had scrawled a simple note out. Pulling out some tape, she attached the note to it.

Think Pericles is stalking Machine. Talk at Bloody Stake- MI

There would be questions, but the task was done.

She caught up with the gang. Velma glanced back at her. Daphne aimed a smile and nod. This time, hopefully, they didn't have to split up to help Hatecraft or to go to the library. They did have to stop by the trainyard to get the Mystery Machine and the trunk.

Hopefully, Mr. E would listen.

"Do you think he'll listen?" Fred was the one to ask a few hours later, "Alice May" already on her way to trial. They were waiting in the parking lot of the Bloody Stake for Mr. E or whoever to show up. Due to the early evening hour, there weren't many people at the restaurant- Crystal Cove's creep factor gave the town weird working hours. He was sorting the trapping equipment, but it was clear his head wasn't in it. Velma had gone inside with Shaggy and Scooby to pick up the food she had ordered ahead. Much easier to save time if they just ordered ahead.

Daphne had to wonder why they hadn't done that before.

"I mean, what if he doesn't?" he continued, placing the last cable in its spot. "What if this is just a big waste of time."

"I don't think he can afford not to," Daphne said in response. "Remember what happened afterward?" Her boyfriend winced, giving her his answer.

(Velma, late in the nights, had quietly cried into her pillow. She never spoke about it.)

Before he could talk, he was cut off by the other three walking up with food bags, followed by a car that parked a fair distance away from the Mystery Machine. They watched as Mr. Machine got out. The group watched as he carefully walked up to them. The two groups stared at each other. "Your...Mr. E is currently unavailable," he said finally. "He's surprised that he didn't notice anything."

"He strikes me as that person," Velma said with a nod. "To be upset at not noticing everything." Machine gave her a nod back.

(It seemed like everyone was going to ignore that similarity between father and daughter.)

After another awkward moment, Scooby held out one of the basket of fries in a clear peace offering. "Fries?" he asked. After another moment, Machine took one. He awkwardly settled next to Velma and the two started comparing (carefully managed on Mystery Inc's end) notes.

Daphne couldn't help the smile that rose up.

* * *

A fair distance away, Pericles watched the little group.

Ricky's little puppet and the _kinder_ seemed to be comparing notes. It was a surprising change in the course from "Mr. E"'s usual plan of hide, manipulate, and watch. Direct contact had never happened before. It was new. It was interesting.

It was very, very bad.

He needed Ricky alone and vulnerable. He needed the kinder to be distrustful and wary, enough to find the pieces for themselves. He needed Cassidy out of the way entirely. If they were working together, that left him with a smaller area to work his plans.

With a curse, he flew away.

It seemed that it would take longer than planned to free his Master...


End file.
